Navy may cease hunt for MH370

The search by the Royal Thai Navy in Thai-Malaysian waters for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 might end soon if no progress is seen, a senior Navy commander said yesterday.

However, the operation would resume if requested by Malaysian authorities, said Vice Admiral Taratorn Kajitsuwan, chief of the Third Naval Area Command.

He explained that no additional vessels were needed as a close search had already been conducted in the area assigned to the Thai Navy – in the Andaman Sea from Langkawi Island to Pangkor Island off Malaysia’s Perak state.

Yesterday, the Navy’s search began near a location where the Singaporean Navy reported the sighting of passenger life vests – around 60 nautical miles north of Sumatra. However, the search did not locate a vest or anything else that might be part of a Boeing 777-200 aircraft or any sign indicating the cause of the MH370 flight going missing.

He said the search could be temporarily put on hold yesterday evening if there were no sign of further progress.

However, the operation would resume if requested by Malaysian authorities, said Vice Admiral Taratorn Kajitsuwan, chief of the Third Naval Area Command.

He explained that no additional vessels were needed as a close search had already been conducted in the area assigned to the Thai Navy – in the Andaman Sea from Langkawi Island to Pangkor Island off Malaysia’s Perak state.

Yesterday, the Navy’s search began near a location where the Singaporean Navy reported the sighting of passenger life vests – around 60 nautical miles north of Sumatra. However, the search did not locate a vest or anything else that might be part of a Boeing 777-200 aircraft or any sign indicating the cause of the MH370 flight going missing.

He said the search could be temporarily put on hold yesterday evening if there were no sign of further progress.